A Dream Come True
by Cpaz00
Summary: It seemed too good to be true. After all, what were the chances that the blond she met was even real? Spoilers from WCI.
1. From a Fairytale, He Appears

**This fanfic is going to have three parts. The basic idea of this was inspired by an actual dream I had. This can be seen as both romantic and not romantic. Here's part one!**

"Stop it!" She screamed in terror, trying to remove the boy's hand from her hair, eyes wide as other kids laughed mockingly, pointing fingers at her forehead.

"She's a three-eyed freak!"

"A monster!"

Through her tears, she could make out the shapes of older citizens, their stares invisible, but the quiet murmuring was all she needed to see the disgust and fear on their blurred faces. "Let go!" This time she put more force into her grip, and the brunette successfully tore his hand off. Not wasting a second, she quickly stood and ran, readjusting her bangs to cover her third eye as she fled.

She stayed in her room the rest of the day, only leaving to eat when Lola, with the promise of staying by her side the entire time, persuaded her to go.

* * *

She was walking down the street, trying to ignore the stares she got. A hand grabbed her bangs and pulled them up, revealing her third eye. She screamed, once again reaching up to remove the offending hand.

"Look! She's a hideous three-eye!" The same voice. Suddenly, she could only see red, her eyes sparking as she pulled out a knife and cut into the boy's hand. "Ow! You cut me!"

She said nothing, the flame smoldering into a chill, the shadow only intensifying the icy glow in her eyes. "You think I'm just going to let you hurt me?" Realizing the danger he was in, the boy turned and ran in terror, the brunette wasting no time to give chase. "I'll kill you all! Every last bastard!"

She ran and ran, but the boy was always just outside of her reach until, in a last ditch effort, she threw the knife, but it never reached him. She stopped, panting heavily from the extended period of running. Hot tears of frustration filled her eyes as she made her way to the knife. Looking down at the knife, she suddenly felt ashamed. She sat and pulled her knees in, bowing her head down before beginning to sob. She had barely even started when she sensed someone was standing right in front of her.

"What's wrong?"

Looking up, she could see a blond boy looking down at her, sincerity shining in his visible eye. His eyebrow strangely spiraled outward, resembling a dartboard.

At her silence, he tried again, this time crouching to be at her level and asking, "Why are you crying?"

Afraid to answer, she replied, "Who are you?"

The blond boy seemed to hesitate for a second before he answered, "Sanji. What's your name?"

"Pudding."

The blond looked surprised but made no comment. After a few seconds of silence, he held out his hand to her. "Wanna watch the ocean with me? Only if you think it'll help you feel better though..."

She eventually nodded, only now noticing the edge of a cliff behind Sanji and hearing the waves crashing into the cliff somewhere below their altitude. Taking his hand, he was helping her stand up when a strong ocean breeze pushed her bangs out of her forehead, uncovering her hidden eye. Eyes going wide, she started to yank her hand out of his, but his grip suddenly tightened. Terrified of what she'd see, Pudding looked up from his hand.

He was staring right at her third eye, and she braced herself for his eventual disgust and derision.

"It's... beautiful..."

"Huh?" Before she could even process Sanji's words, tears were escaping her eyes. "You're lying..."

Sanji earnestly shook his head. "No, I mean it. Your eyes are beautiful." A look of realization crossed his features, his visible eye narrowing shortly after. "Are people making fun of your eye? That's what's wrong, isn't it?"

She nodded. Suddenly, she could feel herself being pulled toward him, arms wrapping around her and holding her to his chest. Too stunned to respond, she stood still, listening to the steady beating of his heart while he gently rubbed her back.

"You're beautiful, Pudding. Don't listen to what any of the others say."

Her shoulders trembled as sobs began to wrack her small frame. She could only nod before burying her face into his chest and crying. The blond remained silent, allowing her to release all of her buried pain, his steady hold on her comforting and secure. When she had begun to calm, Sanji gently guided her to the edge of the cliff and sat her down before sitting a respectable distance next to her.

For a while they sat in a comfortable silence, the peaceful view of the ocean soothing her remaining unease and doubts. "Thank you, Sanji."

The blond turned suddenly toward her. "Huh? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Surprised by his response, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No!" As if realizing his answer had been too sudden, he smiled apologetically. "I'm fine, really."

She looked down at his hands only to find that they were trembling despite being so comforting and steady earlier. She frowned in concern. Gently resting her hand on his, he stiffened at the touch, almost pulling his hand away, his visible eye widening. "You're lying." He turned to face her. "You're not okay. You can tell me what's wrong." The blond hesitated. "Is it your eyebrow?" He shook his head. Out of ideas, she asked, "Then what is it? You're so nice."

The blond shut his eyes tightly, his whole body trembling. Trying to help, Pudding rested her hand on his back and moved closer to him. He flinched away from the touch, scaring the brunette into removing her hand. "Sorr—"

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

"I wanna help you, Sanji! You already helped me so much, so please... let me help you too."

Letting out a shaky breath, Sanji allowed himself to lean into her. After a moment of hesitation, Pudding gently rubbed his back, holding his hand in her other.

They stayed this way for a while, Pudding patiently waiting for Sanji to be ready to speak. Finally, the blond almost whispered, "My father... he... he locked me away in a dungeon." Pudding almost gasped but managed to stay silent. "He was ashamed of me..." The little control Sanji had of his voice was lost, his voice choking on itself. "M-My... br-broth-thers... they'd always... beat me up wh-whenever they could." The blond was half sobbing as he shuddered at what could only be the memory of what she had just heard. "It was so scary and dark and cold..."

She almost missed the sound of his stomach growling. Hesitantly, she asked, "Are you hungry?"

The blond stilled at that, but his face was out of her sight, leaving her to anxiously wonder what he could be feeling. Sanji slowly removed himself from her touch, looking out at the ocean in silence. "This rock... I almost starved to death on it."

Pudding couldn't stop herself from gasping. "Sanji!" Before she knew what she was doing, she protectively wrapped him in an embrace, tears filling her three eyes.

"Hey, don't cry! I didn't mean to make you sad! Please... just forget I said anything."

She vigorously shook her head. "No..." She looked up at him, his visible eye going wide as she tearfully exclaimed, "I don't want you to suffer alone, Jiji!"

The blond was speechless, tears flooding his eyes. "Jiji?"

"You are the only one who's ever called my third eye beautiful, and that makes you precious to me."

The blond's tears fell as he gave her a shaky smile before returning the embrace. Pudding could feel the blond tremble in her embrace. "Pudding... thank you."

* * *

Opening her eyes, Pudding sat up, looking around her bedroom before stopping at the mirror. She stood and walked closer, parting her bangs and staring at her third eye. Smiling to herself, she let her bangs fall back into place and walked to the balcony. "Jiji..."

 **And that's it for part one! I'd appreciate it if I** **received some reviews. As for part two, I'll be publishing it in one week. I already have the entire story written, so there should be no delays! Thank you for reading my fanfic!**


	2. From Dream to Reality

**Before we start part two, I wanna thank those who reviewed, favorited, or followed this fanfic. It really means a lot to me.**

 **Amlie: I agree that Sanji and Pudding would make a great couple, and I personally think Jiji is her pet name/nickname for Sanji. Also, I'm updating weekly, so there's no need to worry about new parts.**

 **With all of that taken care of, let's start part two!**

"Yes, mama?"

"Germa has agreed to form an alliance through an arranged marriage. You are going to be the bride. The groom will be the Vinsmoke family's third son, Black Leg Sanji." She leans over toward the brunette. "Do what you always do and make him fall for you. It'll be much easier for you to shoot him at the altar this way!"

"Of course, mama! That'll be easy!"

"You know what, Pudding? You're like my little puppet!"

The brunette smiled but said nothing. Waving dismissively, Big Mom laughed. "Go on, now. He'll be brought here soon."

* * *

Staring at the mirror in her room, she slowly moved her bangs out of her forehead. Frowning, she turned away, letting her bangs return to their normal position as she stepped outside on the balcony, ignoring the rain as it gradually soaked her.

* * *

"Wait right here, Pudding, and I'll send him your way. You know what to do." After receiving Pudding's reply, Big Mom left. Shortly after, she heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, her eyes widened slightly. Without a word, he handed her the bouquet of flowers he brought with him.

"Your name is Sanji, right?"

"Yeah." The brunette failed to reply, her eyes absorbing the details of his face. "And you're Pudding," he finally said, realizing she wouldn't speak. "Listen... I do want to marry you, but I need to return to my friends."

He waited for her to respond, to which she stammered, "Oh... okay." Awkwardly excusing himself, the blond hastily left her alone.

* * *

"You may lift the bride's veil and kiss her."

"Okay, I'm going to lift the veil now..."

Pudding bowed, her bangs shifting as Sanji lifted the veil. Glaring, she watched his visible eye go wide, his hands gripping her shoulders. His gaze was on her third eye.

Tightening her grip on the gun, she was in the middle of pulling it out when the blond whispered, as though in awe, "It's so... beautiful."

Her hand froze, the gun slipping out of her grip and falling onto the ground. Her eyes widened in sudden realization and shock. There was no doubt in her mind now. Tears of disbelief fell. "What?"

"Uh—Sorry! It's just that—"

She didn't hear the rest, collapsing onto her knees and beginning to sob. "No way... damn it... I have to kill him... I have to kill you!" But she knew she wouldn't. Not anymore. So when he dodged her brother's jellybean, Pudding knew she could break the weakening dam on Sanji, and he'd still be standing when the flood ended. So she did.

* * *

Sitting in the alley, she watched as Sanji assessed the gathered Big Mom Pirates before turning towards her. "Hey... when Luffy comes out, we'll have to part ways..." A few minutes pass in silence. "Hey... would you believe me if I said I met you in a dream?"

Pudding's eyes go wide in amazement. "You did? I... I met you in a dream too."

Now it's Sanji's turn to be surprised. "Really? Then... what did you see in your dream?"

"I can't remember everything exactly... They were making fun of my third eye... I ran after one of them. Then... when I started crying, you were suddenly there. I was afraid to let you see my eye... but when you saw it, you said it was beautiful..." She smiled at the thought, but further recollection had her frowning. "When I tried to thank you, I realized you weren't okay... I remember you told me what was wrong... I can't remember what it was you told me, but if I had to guess, it was about your family." She didn't need to see the blond's nod to know she was right. "Also, that cliff we were on... the ocean was so beautiful, but that was bothering you too... right?"

When she turned to look, she could see that the blond was frowning. "Yeah... I nearly starved to death on that rock... if it weren't for Zeff, I would've died." Sanji was quiet for a few seconds. "I was having a nightmare when you showed up." The vulnerability of his voice shocked her, eyes widening as he elaborated. "That I was starving on that rock again... but when I heard you crying, I knew something was wrong, so I turned around and saw you there on the rock with me. The rest went the way you remember it." Pudding nodded in confirmation. "Then... our dreams... they somehow collided..."

"Sanji, I'm sorry!"

Somewhat startled by her sudden exclamation, Sanji asked, "Why? There's nothing to be sorry for..."

Pudding shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "You don't understand! I said such awful things about you behind your back! I mocked you ruthlessly! I was going to kill you!"

Sanji smiled sadly, taking a hold of her hand and resting his other on her shoulder. "I know... I was there."

Pudding lifts her head in shock, almost whispering to herself in disbelief, "No..." She broke into a sob, trying to pull herself out of his gentle touch.

Sanji, upset for having made her cry even more, desperately shouted, "Please don't cry! I didn't mean to make you feel guilty! I forgive you, really!"

She paused, refusing to look at him. "You really are too kind... I don't deserve your kindness."

"You don't understand... I'm glad you were my fiancé. I'm glad I got to see you in real life, Pudding." More tears fell from her eyes, but this time, when Sanji panicked, Pudding gave him a shaky smile, assuring him she was okay.

Once Pudding calmed, Sanji smiled to himself. "It's funny really... when I woke up after that dream, I hoped I'd get a chance to meet you. I didn't know it was you when I first came here..." Smiling brightly at her, he asked, "But do you know how I realized it was you?" She shook her head. "It was when I saw your third eye up close at the altar. Only you could have eyes as beautiful as the ones I saw in my dream. But I have to say... your eyes are much prettier than I remember them being."

Pudding blushed intensely at that, covering her face with her hands and smiling in delight. "Sh-Shut up!"

Sanji smiled, knowing by now her remarks were not to be taken too seriously. But it was nearing time. "Pudding..." Recognizing the seriousness of his tone, Pudding calmed, uncovering her face. "It's almost time to say goodbye... thank you for everything..."

He began to turn away, Pudding's eyes going wide. "Wait!" He stopped, turning toward her again, mild confusion in his eyes. "I have one last request..."

Reaching for his cigarette, she tossed it aside before pressing her lips onto his, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He remained frozen in shock, but she didn't care. Here was that precious boy who had told her she was beautiful when no one else would. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, the warmth of his body. He was real. She took it all in...

Because this was her only chance.

Tears of sorrow filled her eyes as she pulled away, but still, she smiled, taking in every detail of his love-struck face. This was him... the one who saved her...

The man she loved.

"Jiji... thank you for everything."

 **And that's part two! The final part will be coming next week on June 25th. I've got a special treat for you guys in that part! Until then, thanks for reading!**


	3. From the Prince, a Promise is Made

**We're at the final part of this story! Thanks to those who have kept up with this story. It makes me happy to know that I've brought enjoyment to even a handful of people.**

 **Here's the final part!**

"It's going to be another long day tomorrow... Get some sleep."

The blond left to his room without a word, silently relieved for the chance to sleep but most certainly not about to let the geezer know just how tired he was. Walking straight to his bed, he was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Blinding light greeted him as he groggily opened his eyes, the relentless heat on his skin prompting him to sit up. Squinting down at the ground, he tried to look at his surroundings, but after a few failed attempts, he gave up and waited for his eyes to fully adjust.

Looking up at last, Sanji's eyes went wide in horror. There was no doubt about it. He'd been here too long to not be able to recognize the view of the endless blue sea and feel of the barren rock beneath him.

On cue, his stomach growled loudly and painfully. He stood up, panic overtaking him. Was it all a dream? Had he been here on this rock all along?

Terrified he was going insane, the blond sat down again, hugging his knees and staring out at the sea. Maybe this was the dream... Yeah, the miraculous rescue and opening of the Baratie had to be real...

Right?

All he had to do was check the other side... The fear of knowing, of discovering that everything he thought was real was only a dream and that he would die here...

He stayed where he was, shivering despite the heat.

It took him a second to realize the person crying wasn't himself. Turning around, he could see a girl several years younger than him sobbing loudly, her face hidden by her knees, which she had tucked in.

Although feeling unwell himself, the blond stood and walked over to her. Was this all just a hallucination? Well, hallucination or not, she was crying, and it wouldn't be good for her to remain that way. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. He waited to see if she would say something, but when she didn't, he crouched down to see her face to face. Feeling kind of silly, Sanji nonetheless asked, "Why are you crying?"

The last thing he was expecting from her was a reply, but after a moment of clear hesitation and doubt, she gave him one. "Who are you?"

Suddenly reminded of his father, Sanji hesitated. But, after deciding that there'd be no harm, regardless of whether the girl in front of him was a hallucination or he was just having a fucked up nightmare, he answered, "Sanji. What's your name?"

"Pudding."

Unlike him, she seemed to have no problem with answering. The name was unusual to him, but he quickly decided against commenting on it. Instead, he offered her his hand. "Wanna watch the ocean with me? Only if you think it'll help you feel better though..." She nodded after a few seconds, taking his hand and allowing him to help her up. As he did, a breeze brushed her bangs aside, revealing a third eye on her forehead.

Mesmerized by its beauty, he felt his grip tighten on her hand, barely noting the fear in her eyes as she looked up at him. "It's... beautiful..."

"Huh?" Tears spilled from her eyes. "You're lying..."

He shook his head in an attempt to convey his sincerity. "No, I mean it. Your eyes are beautiful." His eyes widened as a suspicion entered his thoughts. Needing to confirm it, for if this was true it would be a serious offense, he tersely asked her, "Are people making fun of your eye? That's what's wrong, isn't it?"

She nodded. Frowning, he pulled her in against his chest. They were wrong. He knew all too well how it felt... to be treated like shit... teased... shamed... how much he longed for comfort... to be loved.

Gently rubbing her back, he decided he would be the one to ease the pain. "You're beautiful, Pudding. Don't listen to what any of the others say."

Feeling her tremble against him, he held her steady as she began to cry. The waves of pain and sorrow echoed in his heart, his own pain and fear rising from within. His throat tightened, eyes watering, but, determined to be Pudding's support and security until she was saved, he fought agaisnt the overwhelming urge to cry with her.

Sensing that she had finished, he guided her to the edge of the rock, sitting her down before choosing a spot where she was not far but would be unable to see his face.

Unable to keep from trembling, he watched the horizon with wide eyes. A ship... surely he'd see one soon... surely... maybe... no... no one was going to—

The sound of Pudding's voice had him almost jumping. "Huh? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Pudding was noticeably surprised and concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" Quickly realizing his mistake, he attempted to smile at her reassuringly. "I'm fine, really."

She didn't respond. Afraid to worry her, he looked back at the sea, trying desperately to stop his hands from trembling but failing. Suddenly feeling the warmth of her hand on his, he stiffened, nearly yanking his hand away as his eyes widened.

"You're lying." Surprised and scared, he turned to look at her. "You're not okay." Her gaze softened. "You can tell me what's wrong." But how could he tell her? He wasn't even sure what reality was anymore. He couldn't.

"Is it your eyebrow?"

If he had been thinking clearly, he would have found that her question wasn't as bizarre as he took it. He shook his head.

She seemed confused by his answer, which once again would have been no surprise to him had he not been so distressed. "Then what is it? You're so nice."

Nice. Like that got him anywhere. Flashes of green, blue, and red had him trembling again. He shut his eyes, curling into himself as he fought back the tears of pain and terror threatening to fill his eyes.

Feeling something touch his back, he instinctively flinched.

"Sorr—"

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." The last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad.

"I wanna help you, Sanji! You already helped me so much, so please... let me help you too."

Letting out a shaky breath, he allowed himself to lean into her. Before long, Pudding was gently rubbing his back, her other hand holding his still shaking one.

For a while he remained silent, finding comfort in her soft touch and soothing warmth on his back. On the verge of tears, he waited for his emotions to calm, his doubts holding him at bay. It was okay... he could tell her... "My father... he..." Sanji hesitated, suddenly afraid to continue. He had to take the plunge before he could change his mind. "He locked me away in a dungeon. He was ashamed of me..." His voice failed him, his throat tightening painfully as tears filled his eyes. "M-My... br-broth-thers... they'd always... beat me up wh-whenever they could." He broke into a sob, shuddering at the memory of their cruel, mocking eyes, the mask... the dungeon. "It was so scary and dark and cold..."

His stomach growled, reminding him where they were.

"Are you hungry?"

His eyes went wide, once again terrified he would die on that rock... at that spot.

Resigned to his fate, Sanji removed himself from Pudding's comforting warmth and looked out at the sea. More to himself than to Pudding, he distantly murmured, "This rock... I almost starved to death on it." He wasn't sure it was true. Despite how much he wanted it to be true, he didn't know why he felt compelled to say it.

Pudding gasped. "Sanji!"

Much to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him in a strong embrace. Seeing that there were tears in her eyes, he hastily shouted, "Hey, don't cry! I didn't mean to make you sad! Please..." He frowned. "Just forget I said anything."

But Pudding shook her head. "No..." Sanji's eyes went wide in shock as she looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes shining in sincere determination. "I don't want you to suffer alone, Jiji!"

He froze in disbelief, tears blurring his vision. "Jiji?"

"You are the only one who's ever called my third eye beautiful, and that makes you precious to me."

He couldn't believe it. Pudding... Pudding cared about him... he was... precious to her...

His tears fell, the relief her words brought overwhelming him with happiness. Shakily smiling through the tears, he returned her embrace, her warmth bringing a sense of belonging and security. Never had he felt this way.

"Pudding... thank you."

* * *

Taking a break from cleaning the kitchen, Sanji took out a cigarette and lit it. But instead of placing it into his mouth, he held it out, silently watching the smoke trail from the tip. He smiled fondly at it before finally putting it into his mouth.

* * *

"Jiji... thank you for everything. Goodbye..."

Pudding reached into his head, pulling out the recently created memory.

Sanji, realizing what she was about to do, reached up and firmly grabbed her arm. "Please, Pudding... let me keep this memory." Pudding, shocked by his request, doesn't respond. Growing desperate, he tried again. "I want to remember this... so please... don't remove it."

Pudding hesitates before finally putting the memory film back inside his head. "Sanji... I..."

"Let's meet again, okay?"

Her eyes widen. "We can't! Mama will—"

"It's okay. I want to see you again, Pudding." Tears filled her eyes. "Let's make a promise to meet again someday, no matter what stands in our way." He smiles warmly at her. "Okay?"

She wiped the tears off, smiling at him afterwards. "Okay! I promise."

"Good. Well... I'll see you again. Take care of yourself until then."

"Sanji... uh, Jiji... I'll see you again. Please be careful..."

He offers her one last smile. "Don't worry... I will."

 **And that's all for this story! I hope you all enjoyed the story! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
